Vending-machine.



J. H. BILLMEYER. VENDING MAUHINE.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908 3 SHEETS-SHEET lv Ill 11 aii llrala ll/z'l'n 6.5565

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J. H. BILLMEYER. VENDING MACHINE. APPLIOATIQN rum: um. 12, 1908.

905,401. Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

3 BEETS-SHEE 2 i .38 I 40 l 2 9 2 47 7 45 I L v 46 l I k g 3?, I n W Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 J. H. BILLMEYER.

VENDING MAOHINB.

APPLIOATION mam SEPT.12,1908.

THI nonnls Plrins c Wumuaroll. a. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. JOSEPH ll. BILLME Yhilt, 01 (IIIIUAtITh ILLINUIE, libbIUNOlt 'lU CLARENCE It. POPE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VEN DING-MACHIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

Application filed September 12, 1908. Serial No. 452,738.

omitted so as to clearly show the method of shifting the coin hopper so as to dischar e the coin and allow the detent to engage the escapemcnt and stop the motor. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the complete apparatus.

In the form shown in the drawings, all sides, including the top and the bottom of the casing 1, are of glass, and the casing is of rectangular form so as to permit a plurality of such machines to be stacked side by side and one above the other and at the same time permit the mechanism of each to be clearly visible from the outside. One panel of the casing, preferably the one at the back, which is not shown in the drawings, is removable so as to permit of access to the interior. The delivery mechanism and the motor are connected together in such mannor as to permit of removing them from the casing as one piece.

The front panel of the casing 1 has an opening 2 at its lower part, through which the lower end of the delivery chute 3 extends. The delivery chute is so formed as to fit snugly within the opening 2, and is secured against shifting rearwardly by means of a. brace 4 which abuts against a crosspiece or shoulder 5 at the rearward end of the bottom panel of the casing. The bar 4 is preferably threaded at 6, where it engages the frame 7 of the operating mechanism, and its opposite end is shaped so as to fit into a socket in the shoulder 5. By screwing the bar 4 into the frame 7, the rearward end of the bar may be disengaged from the shoulder 5, and the supporting frame 7, together with all of the parts connected therewith, may then be withdrawn through the rearward end of the casing.

In order that the cigars may be sold direct from their original package, the frame 7 is provided with side panels which are suitably spaced to permit the end of the cigar box 8 to be inserted between them or to a ut against them in such manner that the cigar box will itself serve as the article magazine of the apparatus. The cigar box is supported by a frame 9 which has a plate 10 extending across its front end in such position as to be substantially flush with and form a continuation of the bottom of the box 8, the adjacent end of the box having been previously removed, so as to permit the cigars to be pushed out of the box toward the delivery mechanism. The frame 9 is preferably To all whom it "may concern:

Be it known that I, Joslcrn ll. BILLMEYER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a. resident of Chicago, (look county, Illinois, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Vending-Machines, of 1 which the following is a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of vending machine particularly adapted for the mrpose of vending ci ars from their original boxes; i to provide a evicc of this class which is capable of handling and delivering cigars without injuring them; to provide improved mechanism capable of being controlled by coin-controlled devices and adapted to positively insure the delivery of a cigar or a pro determined number of cigars for each coin of proper denomination which is delivered thereto; to provide an improved construc tion of the delivery mechanism and the various parts thereof, whereby injury to the cigars by the operation of the machine is practically impossible; to provide improved feeding mechanism for causing the discharge of articles from a magazine to the delivery mechanism of vendin machines; to provide an improved form of easing adapted to be constructed mostly of glass; and to provide improved means for ri idly securing the op erating mechanism wit 'iin the casing, whereby the mechanism may be readily removed as a unit from the casing. These objects are accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal section, partly broken away, of a cigar vending machine constructed according to this invention, the cigars being indicated by dotted circles. Fig. 2 is a detail, in isometric perspective, of the rotary article delivery member. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of the ratchet device which operates the feeder late which pushes the cigars toward the delivery member. Fig. 4 is a detail of the coin-controlled spring motor which operates the delivery mechanism. Fig. 5 is a top plan, partly broken away, of the delivery mechanism and its motor. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the coin hopper viewed from the left of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the pusher plate. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail of the deliver mechanism, showing a cigar about to fal into the delivery chute, some of the parts in the background being removable from the frame 7, its front end being supported by studs 11 seated in bayonet slots in the end panels of the frame 7, as shown in Fig. 1, and the rear end of the frame 9 is supported by suitable u )rights from the bottom of the casing. The frame 9 is provided with a point 12 which penetrates the bottom of the cigar box 8 and stcadies its rearward end, the front end being firmly held through its engagement with the plate 10 and the end panels of the frame 7.

The delivery mechanism comprises a delivery member 13 journaled on a horizontally disposed axis adjacent to the front of the article magazine. The member 13 is rotated in the direction of the arrow lei of Fig. 1 by means of the spring motor, which comprises a spiral spring 15 and a suitable train of gears such as is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. The member 13 is loosely journaled on the shaft of the slowest gear 16 of the train, and is driven by said shaft through a ratchet 17 which causes the drum to be driven when the shaft rotates in one direction, and permits it to remain stationary when the shaft is rotated in the reverse direction as for winding the clockwork. The gear 16 is also connected with its shaft by a ratchet 18, so that the winding operation may be accomplished without operating the train of gears.

The pinion 19, which is at the high speed end of the train of gears, is provided with an escapement wheel 20 which co-acts with the detent 21 for controlling the operation of the spring motor. The detent 21 is c011- nected with a lever 22 located at the lower end of the coin hopper 23, so that the Weight of a coin in said hopper will depress the lever 22 and withdraw the detent 21 so as to permit the motor to operate. The lever 22 is normally urged, by means of a spring 24, to its uppermost position,that is, the position for stopping the motor. The separator roller 25, whose function will be hereinafter more fully described, is driven by the pinion 26 and rotates in the same direction as the delivery member 13, but at a much higher speed. The separator roller 25 is referably covered with soft rubber, so that it will act upon the cigars in the magazine without injuring them. The rubber on the separator roller 25 is preferably unvulcanized, and its stickiness is tempered to the desired degree by rubbing powdered aluminum into the surface thereof. This also serves to delay the hardening of the rubber with age.

The cigars are pushed along the magazine and toward the delivery mechanism by means of a feeder late 27 which is vertically disposed an is inserted into the cigar box behind the cigars, as illustrated in Fig. 1. At the upper end of the plate 27 is an arm 28 which extends horizontally in front of the plate 27. This arm has a depending lug 25'! at its front end. A feed rod 20, preferably provided with rack teeth on its lower side, extends horizontally from the front to the rear of the magazine, and extends loosely through apertures in the lug 29 and the upright which connects the arm 28 with the plate 27. The feed rod 30 is pivotally connected with an arm 31 at its front end, and its weight causes the shoulder 32 of the feeder to engage the rack teeth on the rod 30 (see Fig. 3). A moistencr 33, which, for ornan'iental purposes, is made in the form of a cigar-shaped casing, filled with suitable absorbent material, is supported on the top of the arm 28, and its weight, together with the pressure of the cigars against the lower part of the plate 27, causes the upper end of said plate to tilt forward so as to cause the rod 30 to be gripped by the shoulders 32 and 34: during a forward movement of the rod 30. hen the rod is moved in a rearward direction, it tends to release this gripping effect and permits the ratchet teeth on said rod to ride freely over the shoulder 32, the plate being prevented, by the friction of its lower edge with the cigar box, from slipping back during a backward movement of the rod 30. The upper surface of the plate 10 is roughened to provide sufiicient friction to insure proper action of the feeder in delivering the last cigar in the box. hen the rod 30 moves in a forward direction, the teeth thereon engage the rearward side of the shoulder 32 and cause the plate 27 to be pulled forward. The teeth on the rod 30 are provided for the purpose of increasing the friction, but the feeder will operate properly even if the teeth are omitted, as will be understood from Fig. 3 and the foregoing description.

The desired forward and backward reciprocatory motion of the rod 30 is obtained by means of the cam 35 which is driven by one of the gears of the spring motor and engages an arm 36 which is rigidly connected with the arm 31, said arms forming a bell crank mounted to oscillate about the pivot 37. The rod 30 is pivotallv connected to the head 38, which is preferably rclnovably mounted on the arm 31. In the form shown, said head is provided with a socket fitting a stud at the upper end of the rod 31 and is held in position by means of the spring detent 39. This arrangement permits the feed rod, together with the feeder plate, to be readily removed for the purpose of having them out of the way when inserting a fresh box of cigars after those of the previous box have become exhausted or when for any reason it is desired to remove a box of cigars together with its contents.

In order to prevent unauthorized parties from tampering with the mechanism, the delivery chute 3 has a pocket at its lower end which extends outward in front of the ing to permit a cigar to be removed therefrom by a customer, but said chute then extends upwardly in such manner as to prevent the operating mechanism from being reached from the delivery opening.

Cigars are discharged from the adjacent pocket of the delivery member 13 into the upper end of the chute 3 by means of a fork which comprises a pair of fingers 40 carried by the shaft -11 which is mounted to oscillate in the frame 7. These fingers extend into peripheral grooves 42 in the drum 13, said grooves being of suliicicnt depth to permit the fingers 10 to lie below the path of a cigar carried in one of the pockets when said fingers are in their retracted position. The fingers are normally urged by the spring 43 toward the position in which the are shown by full lines in the drawings. As a cigar approaches the fingers 40, an arm 11 on the shaft 11 engages a shoulder on the drum and causes the fingers to be retracted so that the cigar will pass above them. As will be seen from Fig. l, the fingers 40 oscillate so as to discharge the cigar from each pocket as it arrives at the position adjacent to the top of the delivery chute 3.

The spring motor is controlled by means of suitable coin-controlled mechanism which in the form shown comprises the hopper 23, together with a suitable chute for delivering the coin to the hopper 23 and suitable fraud-detecting devices for preventing any but coins of proper denomination from entering the hopper 23. The hopper 23 is pivotally mounted at 45 and is connected by means of a link 46 and arm 47 with the shaft 48 which carries a pair of trip fingers 49 which extend into the path of a cigar which is being lifted by the fingers 40, but which are otherwise clear of said fingers 40, as shown in Fig. 5. hen the fingers 49 are lifted through engagement with a ci ar, the hopper 23 is swung swiftly rearwar so as to eject the coin and thereby permit the detent 21 to reengage the escapement 20 and stop the motor. The peripheral speed of the escapement 20 is so great with respect to that of the drum 13, that, even though the escapement wheel 20 may make one or two revolutions during the upward movement of the detent 21 under the action of the spring 24, the stopping of the drum 13 will be practically instantaneous, and it will always stop in substantially the position in whic it is shown in Fig. 1.

The pockets 50 in the delivery member 13 consist of longitudinal grooves extending from end to end of the member and spaced apart at equal angular intervals. These pockets are preferably of suitable width and depth to hold but.0ne ci ar at a time, and each pocket is of such s ape that the wall between adjacent pockets overhangs the pocket which is at the rearward side thereot' and protects the cigar which is in that pocket il'rom being injured by a second cigar in contact with the separator roller 25. The tops of the walls between adjacent pockets are inclined to the radial direction so as to slope rcarwardly and outwardly from each pocket in such manner that when a cigar is in one pocket the next succeeding cigar will be gently lifted and pushed. back without the possibility of being injured. The plate ltl has lingers 51 extending into the grooves 42 of the member 13 so as to guide the cigars into the pockets 50.

The movement of the feeder 27 is so regulated that it moves a certain predetermined distance during each operation of the 1nachine. This distance is determined by. experience and should be such that the cigars will be fed forward with sutficient rapidity to insure that one cigar enters each pocket in the member 13 while such pocket is pass ing the magazine. The movement of the feeder must, however, be limited so that the cigars are not fed forward too rapidly, that would cause them to pile up adjacent to the separator roller. This adjustment is accomplished by the set screw 52 which abuts against the arm 31 and thereby limits the rearward movement of the rod 30 under the action of the spring 53. The forward limit of movement of the rod 30 is determined by the cam 35. By adpisting the screw 52 the angular movement of the arm 31 at each oscillation is controlled and the speed of the feed is increased or diminished in proportion to the increase or reduction of the angular movement of the arm 31.

The tram of motor gears and the mechanism operated thereby furnish sutlicient friction to insure that the motor cannot exceed a moderate speed. As the spring 15 unwinds but slightly for each cigar delivered, the device is capable of vending considerably more than an entire box of cigars with but a single winding of the spring.

There is an advantage in having the moistener carried by the feeder, since it thus always remains directly over the cigars which will be last delivered and which are most likely to become dry on account of being longer exposed to the air.

The operation of the device shown is as follows :When a coin is inserted into the coin chute, if it is of proper form, size, Weight and material to pass the fraud-detecting devices, it will be directed into the hopper 23 and will rest upon the trip arm 22, its weight depressing said arm and withdrawing the detent from the escapement 20 so as to permit the motor to run. This causes the delivery drum 13 to rotate in the direction of the arrow 14 while the separator roller 25 rotates in the same direction. The operation of the motor also causes the feed rod 30 to recipro :ate backward and il'orward through the oscillation of the arm ill by means of the cam 35. This oscillation causes the feeder plate 27 to advance, 'nishingr the cigars toward the delivery member 135. The separator roller 2h gently pushes back any cigar which enters a pocket crosswise or which does not lie flatly in the pocket, and

also pushes back. succeeding cigars after one of the cigars has ent'ciel a pocket 50 in the member 13. The cigar in the pocket is carried around by the drum 1?), and as the pocket approaches the upper end of the delivery chute 3, the arm 44 engages the shoulder or Wall which is at the rearward side of the preceding pocket and causes the fingers 40 to be retracted into the grooves 42 below the arriving cigar to be delivered. As soon as the rotation of the member 13 carries the wall clear of the arm 44, the spring -13 throws the fingers 40 up, so as to discharge the cigar from the adjacent pocket. If there is no cigar in that pocket, the drum )3 coir tinues to rotate and the fingers 40 continue to oscillate until a pocket arrives with a cigar in it. When a cigar is discharged into the delivery chute, it engages the fingers 19, and through the arm 47 and link 46 swings the coin hopper rearward, discharging the coin from the lever 22 and permitting the detent 21 to return into engagement with the escapement 20, thus stopping the motor until another coin has been inserted into the hopper 23.

The hopper 23 prevents a coin from being; dislodged from the lever 22 until a cigar has been delivered. This insures certainty that a cigar will be delivered for each coin of proper denomination which is inserted into the machine, because the motor will continue to operate and the feeding device will travel forward until it is stopped by the actual colltact of a cigar with the fingers 49.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a vending machine, the combination of an article magazine, mechanism for dis charging articles in succession from said magazine, a motor adapted to operate said discharging means, and means located in the path of articles delivered by said discharg, ing means and adapted, when engaged by an article, to stop the operation of said motor.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of an article magazine, mechanism adapted to discharge articles in succession from said magazine, a motor adapted to drive said mechanism, means for starting said motor, and means actuated through contact; with an article delivered by said discharging means for stopping said motor.

3. In a device "of the class described, the combination of an article magazine, a rotary delivery member journaled adjacent to said magazine and having therein an annular serites of pockets movable successively into alinement with said magazine through the rotation of said delivery l'ncmber, means adapted to discharge the articles from said pockets when said pockets arrive at a certain position during the rotation of said delivery member, a spring motor adapted to rotate said delivery member, means controlled by an operator for starting said motor, and means located so as to be engz agcd by an article delivered by said discharging means and adapted to stop said motor when so engaged. i

4. The combination of an article magazine, a feeder movable along said magazine, a rod extending along the path of said t'ccder. mechanism for reciprocating said rod longitudinally, a pair of shoulders on said feeder located at respectively opposite sides of said rod and spaced apart longitudinally of the rod, and means normally urging the relative tilting of said rod and feeder whereby said shoulders will grip the rod when said rod is moved in one direction and release it when it is moved in the opposite direction.

5. The combination of an article magazine, a feeder movable horizontally along said magazine, a rod extending along the path of said feeder, mechanism for reciprocating said rod longitudinally, a pair of shoulders on said feeder located respectively above and below said rod and spaced apart longitudinally of the rod, said feeder bein normally urged to assume a position tilted with res met to said rod whereby said shoulders will grip said red when it is moved in one direction and release it when it is moved in the ()1)]'JOSlt8 direction.

(3. The combination of a feeder mounted to move along a horizontally disposed feed rod extending along the path of said feeder, mechanism for reciprocating said rod 1011 itudinally, a pair of shoulders on said fee er located respectively above and below said rod and spaced apart longitudinally thereof and ada 'ited, through the relative tilting of said rod and feeder, to grip said rod when it is moved in one direction and to release the rod when it is moved in the opposite direction.

7. The combination of a feeder mounted to move along a horizontally disposed feed rod extending along the path of said feeder, mechanism for reci rocating said rod lon itudinally, a pair 0 shoulders on said fee er located respectively above and below said rod and spaced apart longitudinally thereof and adapted, through the relative tilting of said rod and feeder, to grip said rod when it is moved in one direction and to release the red when it is moved in the opposite direction, said rod having thereon a series of ratchet teeth for engaging one of said shoulders.

8. In a cigar vendin machine, the combination of a horizontal disposed magazine for holding cigars, a feeder movable along said magazine for advancing the cigars, a moistener carried by said feeder and extending forward over the cigars in front of said feeder, a feed rod extending along said magazine and mounted to reciprocate longitudinally, and a pair of shoulders on said feeder located respectively above and below said rod, the weight of said moistener being adapted to normally urge the tilting of said feeder whereby said shoulders will grip the rod when said rod is moved in one direction and release it when it is moved in the opposite direction.

9. In a vending machine, an article maga zinc and a rotary delivery member jonrnaled adjacent to said magazine and having in its periphery an annular series of pockets, each shaped to loosely fit an article of substantially circular section, whereby said member will be adapted to deliver such articles in succession from the magazine, said member being so shaped that the wall which is on the advancing side of each pocket will overhang the pocket, and the wall at the rearward side of each pocket will slope rear- Wardly and outwardly, and a separator roller journaled above said delivery member and geared to rotate in the same direction there- With.

10. In a vending machine, the combination of a rotary delivery member having in its periphery an annular series of pockets for the articles to be delivered and having a circumferential groove extending through said pockets, a linger extending into said groove, being mounted to oscillate in said groove toward and away from the axis of said member, mechanism for timing the relative movements of said finger and member whereby said finger will successively discharge the contents of said pockets, a motor arranged for operating said member and finger, and means located in the path of articles discharged by said finger and adapted through engagement with such articles to stop the motor.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing having an opening in one side, article delivery mechanism and a supporting frame therefor, a part secured to said frame and extending through said opening, a shoulder on said casing, and a clamping member bearing between said frame and shoulder and adapted to hold said part in interlocking engagement with said opening and thereby secure said frame against shifting in the casing.

Signed at Chicago this 9th tember 1908.

JOSEPH H. BILLMEYER.

\Vitnesses EUGENE A. RUMMLER, CARRIE M. SHERWOOD.

day of Sep- 

